On paper, this year's iPhone 13 deals offer a very tempting array of options. As always, the name of the game is trading; a time-honoured tactic by the big carriers and Apple itself to get these customers to switch to the newest, shiniest devices. With several options for free devices, this year's deals look particularly good, but are they worth it? Now that we've had time to sit down and look at the full range of iPhone 13 deals available from the major carriers, and a bit of time with the devices themselves, it's time to think objectively about value. As an iterative update, the iPhone 13 isn't as enticing a leap from the iPhone 12 as some might have hoped. Some may want to keep this old device for another year, in which case, let us help you with an expert review. We're going to dive into the best iPhone 13 deals in this article, explain why they're so strong this year, and also compare them to the iPhone 12 and previous Apple devices. We're also giving a general verdict on who we think this year's iPhone 13 deals are better for — spoiler: it's more complicated than you might think.
Apple iPhone 13 deals: finished this year
First, let's take a look at what Apple has to offer when it comes to iPhone 13 discounts. So, right off the bat, we're pleasantly surprised by Apple's maximum trade-in cashback value of up to $790 on all orders. iPhone 13 device advances. For context, that's the biggest possible savings we've ever seen. Apple – A company that has always been known for its rather conservative (some would say slim) offerings on iPhones. Typically, trade-in values range from €210 to €500, with the former being the top savings with last year's iPhone 12 at launch and through Black Friday. In short, Apple is really stepping up its trade-in program for this year's releases. Current trade-in estimates for the iPhone 13 range from €790 for an iPhone 12 Pro, €530 for an iPhone 12, and €340 for an iPhone 11. These are amounts that can significantly lower the price of a new iPhone 13 and even you can get a small discount of €110 for the iPhone 8, if it's still in good shape.Carriers are improving their game, too
Bring these trade-in discounts to major carriers and you'll potentially have even bigger savings. For example, AT&T and Verizon are currently offering trade-in discounts of up to $800 on the iPhone 13 and a whopping $1,000 off Pro models. That's potentially enough to buy a free device, though the catch, of course, is that all offers come with expensive unlimited data plans. Sadly, there's no way around the dreaded plan link, but the good news is that both carriers' iPhone 13 deals are available as a simple one-line upgrade. This means that, unlike some iPhone launches, existing (loyal) customers are no longer left behind with your upgrade discounts. Again, as with Apple's iPhone 13 deals, these support options are much better than what was previously offered for the iPhone 12 and are worth considering. Arguably Verizon's best deal last year was its Black Friday trade-in rebate of up to $700, with an extra $400 for new customers. The main benefit of this was that you were locked behind a new line on an unlimited data plan, so existing customers didn't have much of an upgrade option. AT&T was also offering a $700 discount with a new plan, again, much more limited than its current iPhone 13 deals.
An iterative update?
So why are this year's iPhone 13 deals so generous with their trade-in options? We think the answer is pretty straightforward: iPhone 13 is just a very, very generally iterative update to last year's iPhone 12. Make no mistake, if you're looking for the most powerful and brilliant new device on the market, the iPhone 13 will always be the device of choice. But, a new processor, camera, and battery upgrades can't really take away from how similar this device is to last year's 12 models. A few years ago, Apple broke through its yearly phone release cycle by releasing 'S' variants of previously released devices, essentially new phones in the same 'chassis', but with a little 'extra' oomph under the hood. We've seen it with the iPhone 6S, iPhone XS, and to some extent the iPhone XR as well. The iPhone 13 is truly an “S” model in disguise, although it is very powerful and complete with a lot of notable improvements. The move from iPhone 11 to iPhone 12 seemed like a quantum leap in comparison. It not only got beefier internals, but a whole new look and, for the first time in an Apple device, full 5G support. Many iPhone 12 users are probably looking at their devices right now and wondering if it's worth upgrading. Inform the big carriers and Apple with hefty trade-in discounts to tempt these users to the dark side. Since Apple devices still tend to launch between September and October, this time of year is a big deal for carriers looking to tie their customers up with another round of unlimited plans. And you'll notice that even iPhone 13 deals from modest carriers still come with expensive unlimited data plans.